Drug-driver caused serious crash near Bognor Regis

Keisha Barnes told police she “must have fallen asleep at the wheel” when she veered into oncoming traffic in her white Mini Cooper on the A259 at Colworth near Bognor.

The 39-year-old lost control while driving southbound and collided with a Toyota Verso taxi which was driving northbound.

Barnes had taken cocaine earlier in the night and the collision caused serious life-changing injuries to her passenger.

Barnes, unemployed of Queen Street, Littlehampton, was injured in the collision and also needed surgery.

The wreckage of Keisha Barnes' car (Image: Sussex Police)

The fire service had to use specialist equipment to free her and the passenger from the wreckage of the collision, which happened at 1.50am on April 30 last year.

A blood test showed she had 35 microgrammes of cocaine per litre of blood in her body. The legal limit is 10mcg.

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At Lewes Crown Court on March 13 she admitted causing serious injuries by dangerous driving.

In a victim personal statement her passenger warned her: “If you keep doing what you are doing, then you will hurt more people and ruin other people’s lives.”

Barnes was jailed for two years and six months.

She was disqualified from driving for four years and three months and must take an extended retest.

Keisha Barnes (Image: Sussex Police)

Detective Constable Kelly Newton from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit said: “Barnes’ actions that night were reckless and selfish.

“She lost control of her vehicle after consuming drugs, veering into an oncoming vehicle which gave the other driver no time to react.

“This case demonstrates how drug-driving poses a serious risk to the safety of all road users, including the driver themselves.

“Drugs can stay in your system for a very long time after you take them and have a long-term impact on your ability to drive.

“Barnes was incredibly fortunate not to have caused a fatal collision that night.

“There is simply no excuse for being intoxicated behind the wheel, and we are pleased that a dangerous driver has been taken off our roads.”